Half of Republicans say the news media should be described as the enemy of the American people

In March, Quinnipiac University’s pollsters asked Americans if they thought certain news outlets — unnamed by Quinnipiac — were enemies of the American people? Nearly 4-in-10 said yes — including more than 8-in-10 Republicans. In a poll released April 26, Quinnipiac was more direct. Less than a quarter of the public says that the news media broadly is better described as “enemy of the people” than an “important part of democracy.” But among Republicans, more than half preferred the former term to the latter. Granted, there was a limited set of options from which to choose. The question wasn’t “is the media the enemy of the people” but “which is a better descriptor.” It’s still remarkable, though, that so many in President Donald Trump’s party think that “enemy” is more accurate than “important part of democracy.”